No matter where I travel, the most frequently asked questions I get are, “How do I put my horse on the bit…and how do I keep him there consistently?” This concept baffles many riders. My hope here is to simplify the process for you with the following information.

First, you need to know that there is a SPECIFIC AID to put your horse on the bit just like there is a specific aid to ask for canter or for a leg yield. That aid is a half halt. (Don’t groan…I can hear you!) Continue Reading »

Do you saw left and right on your dressage horse’s mouth or wiggle the bit with both hands to get him “on the bit”.

If you “saw” on your dressage horse’s mouth by alternating squeezing and releasing with your hands, you’re riding your horse from front to back. He might look like he’s “on the bit” because his head is down and his nose is on the vertical, but you don’t have an honest connection from back to front. Continue Reading »

Who Ever Said Dressage Was Easy…

Dressage. Oh, when done well is a beautiful dance between horse and rider. The horse and rider are one. The horse seems to intuitively know what the rider wants. The rider just smiles, enjoys and looks between the horses ears and occasionally lets her inside hand quickly slide over the horse’s withers.

Yeah, right. That is not quite how it goes. Dressage is hard work. Consistent training. Daily exercises and pure commitment. Dressage is a systematic training of the horse & rider.

WE are excited to be bringing another 4STAR show to El Sueno! The Stars and Stripes Dressage show was so fun We’re doing it again!Entries close July 12th,Premium, entry and waiver available atwww.Dressagetimes.comPARTY hearty with us at the Rider Welcome Saturday night!Get your entries in ASAP, limited stabling space. We look forward to seeing you again, for another Fabulous Weekend!

The bulk of most horses’ diets are comprised of hay, yet few people know its nutritional profile.

The only way to find out is to have the hay analyzed.

A hay analysis will reveal any deficiencies or excesses of nutrients as well as the simple sugar content.

Once we know, we can balance out some of these deficiencies or excesses with targeted supplementation.

For most horses it is important to keep the simple sugars to a minimum. Hay can provide a significant amount of these sugars. The only way to find out how much of these sugars our hay has is to analyze it.

Here are some simple steps to get a more consistent feeding schedule for your horses:

ØWork with your hay provider and find out if the grower can pass on the results of the analysis – most hay growers will perform an analysis for dairy farmers anyway

ØIf possible, buy hay in large quantities.

ØDo a short study on horse nutrition or call an Equine Nutritional Consultant (email me if you don’t know one, I can send you in the right direction).

Ultimately, we are feeding our horses in the 21st century and we can combine science and art to give our horse the best nutrition without spending a fortune on a myriad of supplements.

by: Nancy ZacksJuly 01 2009, Article # 14464 from TheHorse.com

An increase in a human’s heart rate affects the heart rate of the horse they are leading or riding, researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences recently reported.

Linda Keeling, PhD, and colleagues tested horses and riders to see if humans inadvertently communicate fear and anxiety to horses. Using heart rate as a fear indicator, the researchers asked 20 people with varying levels of horse experience to walk and ride 10 horses from Point A to Point B four times. The researchers told participants an umbrella would open as they rode or led the horse on the fourth pass. The umbrella never opened, but heart rates in both horses and humans increased during the fourth trip between the points, when the human expected the umbrella to open.

“The increase in the horses’ heart rates probably means that they are more alert and prepared to react to any potential danger,” Keeling said. “In the wild, horses are adapted to respond to other animals in their group. A startle reaction is more likely when the horse is very alert.”

If you are a nervous person leading or riding a horse, your nervousness might increase the likelihood of the “spook” that you are anxious to avoid.

The study, “Investigating horse-human interactions: the effect of a nervous human,” was published in the July 2009 issue of The Veterinary Journal. The abstract is available on PubMed.

More and more horsemen and -women are re-thinking their horse’s foot management. Not just here in the US but all over the world. There is a definite grass roots movement and it is growing fast. To read more, check out my newest article at

Helen McNaught and Ocean Cat (Doug & Julie White, owners) sailed to the front of the $10,000 Woodside Jumper Classic held during the Woodside Circuit Opener (June 17-21). Seven horses posted clear rounds over Danny Foster’s course, and McNaught blazed around the jump off in a time of 42.556, more than two seconds ahead of second place finisher Macella O’Neill and Incandescent (Melanie Rapp, owner). “She is careful and wants to jump clean,” said McNaught of Ocean Cat, a dark brown ten year old mare. Julie White brought the mare up through the jumper ranks, and McNaught recently took over the reins. “She wants to go and jump,” added McNaughton. “She always has the fastest first round, and then in the jump off I just turn tighter.”

Have you had the chance to read the Dressage Letters from the California Dressage Society?

The first few pages are filled with praise, thanks and great stories about the dressage Central Amateur Clinic with Jane Weatherwax. The keyword for the weekend was FUN FUN FUN! And according to the testimonials, that was what everybody had.

There were horses of all ages; 4-20 yrs old, and of course riders of all ages and abilities. Jane had a wide variety of teams to work with.

The initial introduction session was Thursday night t the Gilmore’s home, right after a potluck dinner. Jane mentioned that she’s very big on straightness, haunches to poll and she said that nothing should ever shorten a horse’s neck; as we go up the levels, the horse’s wheel base shortens and the back comes up, but the neck doesn’t shorten. She would also focus on the effective use of the rider’s legs and body and help us to let go and allow our horses to do their job and help us realize that our horses have trained us as well as we have trained them!

Jane was very encouraging, she is light hearted, full of wit and made sure we all had FUN!